Tax stuff I think is interesting. It is either copied from my primary blog on forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/ or stuff that I did not put there because being on forbes is a good gig and they have, you know, standards. Also some guest posts.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Kent Hovind's Big Splash In The Conecuh County Pond

Wedding Bells

The big news in Hovind land this week, is Kent's upcoming nuptials with Mary Tocco and the resulting controversy since they are both divorced. I'm passing much in the way of commentary on that other than to mention a reassuring note that I got from Ernie Land in response to my concern about another woman getting caught up in Kent Hovind's tax misghegas:

Mary has a pre-nup and will file separate. She can run the for profit, if she so chooses, and I expect her to remain third party to the Ministry.

Legal News Coming Soon?

I had asked Ernie whether Kent's new adviser Brady Byrum might be open to an interview. Ernie indicated most likely not. He did update me on the latest in that department, though:

The Ministry is really preparing for a battle that will include UCC and also next round will be defended with vigor. Here are some codes for your insight and also let you see some of what Brady is finding in Congressional archives on the codes.

What followed was a lot of stuff about the definition of a church, rules about starting a church audit and exemptions from withholding for duly ordained minister. I find the connection to Kent's situation kind of tenuous, but we'll see what they come up with. He closes with.

As you can see a can of worms is soon to be opened on the Judge and DOJ for their fraudulent actions. And the future looks like we get to introduce the DOJ to a case they will wish they never brought and one that will remind them of the Scientology case, but the nice thing is their Attorneys paved the way with recent rulings.

We'll just have to wait and see on that.

Arguing With A Man Who Buys Ink By The Gallon

What I find of most interest is Jim Allen's response to Kent Hovind's video attack and the subsequent actions of his supporters. Here is the latest from The Monthly View of Evergreen Alabama

I've been a bit preoccupied the past couple weeks.

In case you haven't heard, it seems Kent Hovind, aka "Dr. Dino" took exception to our July Issue, and with the assistance of one of our County Commissioners, Johnny Andrews, produced a video that's gone somewhat viral in Mr. Hovind's fundamentalist circles.

It's certainly run the course through political circles in Conecuh County.
The Hovind Effect I wrote about has come to roost in Conecuh County, and the predictions I made concerning Hovind's presence here have come true. It didn't take long.

As a result of the video, or as part of the attack, several of my advertisers have been harassed by Hovind's people, and I've received threatening emails and a couple of letters.
I've been working with law enforcement concerning this matter - and will continue to do so.

Hovind said he wants this newspaper shut down.

That's not going to happen.

As for the video itself, what Commissioner Andrews says in this video is completely untrue. Neither myself nor this newspaper endorsed the proposed landfill outside Repton.
Mr. Hovind's performance in front of his followers goes a long way towards proving what has landed in Lenox is indeed a cult.

If the conduct displayed in this video, and the blatant attack on this newspaper by Hovind and his people, is his example of "fine upstanding Christians," then a lot of people have been led down the wrong path. And perhaps, as it turns out, by the wrong man.

All I can say is stay tuned. This can only get more interesting - and indeed it already has. Hovind may already be paying a price for his unjust attack on this newspaper and on me personally.

I've always said God gave me this newspaper. But people from around here know that.

Now to review the bidding on this, it is worth noting that Jim Allen wrote a pretty ominous piece about Hovind without visiting Pearl Lane or talking to Hovind. It is also worth noting, though, that Allen's article cited primary sources in outlining the baggage that Hovind brings to Conecuh County.

It strikes me that Hovind's response was rather ill-advised. Nothing prevented him from taking a drive up to Evergreen and speaking with Allen, as far as I can tell. Instead he found a local politician who has some sort of conflict with Allen.

Now Conecuh at over 800 square miles is not a small town geographically, but with a population in the vicinity of 13,000, I think it is likely that the politics has a small town flavor to it. Factions can be based on ancient grudges about how somebody behaved when they were on the high school basketball team. A newcomer is best advised to defer taking sides until, they have lived there - oh a couple of decades maybe.

Kent could have let the local people make a decision about him after a period of time in which he had a chance insofar as possible to be a good neighbor. If he wanted to prove Allen wrong about his cult concerns, he could have reached out magnanimously. Instead he or some of his supporters are attacking Allen and to some extent making Allen's case for him. So the county will likely end up with a pro-Hovind and an anti-Hovind faction with the newspaper in the hands of the anti-Hovind faction.
And the rest of the Hovindology community will break out the popcorn, as we await the next edition of the Monthly View.

___________________________________________________________________Peter J Reilly has a limited amount of time to devote to Hovindolgy. He sends his regards to Mary and Kent on their upcoming nuptials.

UCC as in "Uniform Commercial Code"? I mean, that's a huge sovereign citizen "tell." And I can also tell you how it will work, as in, "it won't work at all." I do have to admit it's funny to read Canadian sovereign citizen (they call them "freemen on the land" up there) cases where the sovcits cite the UCC, which is not law in Canada. And, by the way, the UCC is not law anywhere in the USA. It's a model code, like the Model Penal Code for criminal law. States are free to adopt it in whole or part. Louisiana has never adopted it.

Anyway, citing the Uniform Commercial Code is a surefire way to get yourself drop-kicked out of court.

The story is just now breaking for many of us regarding Mary Tocco's situation involving an "obstruction of justice" charge in Berkeley County which is possibly related to her daughter's divorce action and accusations against her husband regarding one or more sex crimes.

Maybe that pre-nup Ernie talked about will come in to play if this story affects the upcoming marriage plans between Mary & Kent.

(It is reported that Jim Allen read this letter before the Commission's Open Meeting that was held today in Conecuh County, AL. - RLBaty)

Monday, September 12, 2016

Gentlemen,

On August 24, 2016 in his official capacity as a Duly sworn Agent of Conecuh County, and representing himself as a member of this Board, Commissioner Johnny Andrews participated in a Youtube video with Mr. Kent Hovind at his compound in Lenox, Alabama.

The video was a direct attempt by Commissioner Andrews and Mr. Hovind to damage my good name, question my character, and damage the credibility of my newspaper.

Commissioner Andrews began this video by stating that myself and my newspaper, The Monthly View, had publicly endorsed the former landfill project outside the town of Repton.

My request is a simple one: since Commissioner Andrews was acting as a Representative of this County and this Board when he participated in this video, I would like the Commission to please provide me with documentation that myself and my newspaper publicly endorsed the landfill as Commissioner Andrews claimed.

If no such documentation can be produced, a Public Apology in local media, commensurate with the number of people who have viewed the video, would be appropriate.

A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.

Declaration of the Rights of Man

Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one's affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant.